"Rio 2016 was extremely pleased with the high quality of the eight proposals submitted," the committee said in a statement.

"All we can do is wait," Sorenstam told readers of her monthly newsletter. "Our fingers are crossed for this great honor."

The winning bidder must have an office legally established in Rio and will be paid $300,000 for the design of the course, which will be built in the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood, the site of many Olympic venues.

Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since the St. Louis Games in 1904. The sport was reinstated by an International Olympic Committee vote in 2009 after concerted lobbying from members of the golf industry. It's also guaranteed to be played in the 2020 Games; that site has not been determined.

"After the Games, the course will be managed by a private operator with the chief purpose of promoting golf in Brazil and South America, representing one of the most important Games' legacies for sport development in the country," organizers noted.